Friday, March 31, 2017

Reflection for March 31, 2017

Lent is our pilgrimage, our journey with
Jesus toward Holy Week and the beauty of the Resurrection. In today’s Gospel, we also accompany Jesus on
his pilgrimage. Pilgrimages are journeys
of the body, the mind, and the soul. We
walk in other’s footsteps. We may walk a
new path. As a community we learn what
it is to walk in faith. We experience
both the joys and the challenges of a journey.
I, too, experienced all of these elements as I participated in the
MAGIS/World Youth Day Pilgrimage in Poland with 20 of our students last
July. I want to share with you the
reflection for today that I have written for the Polish Jesuit Pray as You Go.

Lord, please help me to enter into prayer
with a focus on my fears and worry about control in my life and how to resolve
that by reaching out to Jesus. Help me
to be firm in my faith as I see Christ in others.

In today’s Gospel from John, we see that
Jesus “went up, not openly but as it were in secret.” He knew that the Jews were trying to kill Him
and He did not have control over the situation.
Jesus was probably afraid, as you often are. Afraid of others, afraid of
new situations, afraid of doing the wrong thing. How can Jesus’ fear help you understand your
own fears and also help you to give control to God over your life, just as
Jesus did? Spend a few moments
reflecting on this.

With fear comes doubt and with doubt
comes lack of faith. “Could the authorities
have realized that he is the Christ?”
Imagine that the authorities were fearful of Jesus. They could have realized that he was the
Christ but their fears and doubts may have led to a lack of faith. Are there ever times when your fears and loss
of control lead to doubts in your life and cause you to not live out your
faith?

As I walked through Krakow during the
week of World Youth Day, I was separated from my group and I got lost. I ended up walking about 12 miles that
day. Fear had overtaken me. Doubt about whether I could continue
surrounded me. I had lost control and I
forgot who was there for me. “You know
me and also know where I am from.” As I
tried to find my way to the train station, I ran into others who helped
me. They were the face of Christ to me
on my own pilgrimage and they helped me remember who was in control. As I met five sets of people who helped me
find my way, I began to realize that I knew Christ and He was present right
there for me. My fears and doubts left
me. Reflect on Christ’s presence to you
through others.

Pray that you might recognize the face of
Christ in the other through each encounter, through each leg of your journey,
no matter how large or small. Find a
place of peace for your fears and doubts and always reflect on the ways you are
loved through others and through Christ’s presence in your life.